The Cleaner [Audiobook, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Brett Battles (Author), Scott Brick (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2007

Meet Jonathan Quinn: a freelance operative with a take-no-prisoners style and the heart of a loner. His job? Professional 'cleaner'. Nothing too violent, just disposing of bodies, doing a little cleanup if necessary. But in Brett Battles's thrilling debut novel, Quinn's latest assignment will change everything, igniting a harrowing journey of violence, betrayal and revenge. The job seemed simple enough: investigating a suspicious case of arson. But when a dead body turns up where it doesn't belong - and Quinn's handlers at 'the Office' turn strangely silent - he knows he's in over his head. With only a handful of clues, Quinn scrambles for cover, struggling to find out why someone wants him dead - and if it is linked to a larger attempt to wipe out the Office.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Displaying an enviable gift for pacing and action, Battles's debut novel is a page-turner that may remind some readers of the cult TV spy series Alias. Ex-cop Jonathan Quinn now works for a shadowy U.S. intelligence agency known merely as the Office, erasing all traces of violence and mayhem when an operation goes south. During an apparently routine assignment to look into a fatal fire that claimed the life of Robert Taggart, a viral biologist, in his Colorado home, Quinn finds evidence that Taggart was murdered, and that discovery is followed by an attempt on Quinn's own life. While Quinn survives, he learns that the Office's top operatives have been killed in near-simultaneous attacks. Quinn, who makes a compelling protagonist, heads to Europe to track down the mastermind behind the scheme. Admirers of quality espionage fiction can look forward to a new series worth following. (July)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Jonathan Quinn is planning an early retirement. He works sporadically for an agency called the Office. He makes nearly a million a year, but he doesn't even know what branch of government funds his employer. Military intelligence? NSA? He's a contract "cleaner" who tidies the scene of a completed operation so the locals don't suspect that anything unusual has happened. It's less dangerous than operations, and that suits him. So he's surprised when an assassin attempts to kill him in his home. He must disappear temporarily. But loose ends from his last assignment nag him, ultimately thrusting him into an operation filled with violence, revenge, and betrayal. Battles hits for extra bases in his first novel. The Cleaner is a tightly written page-turner, filled with tradecraft and offering as much action as a James Bond film. The threat Quinn must neutralize may be a bit over the top—again in the Bondian manner—but fans of derring-do will happily suspend disbelief and enjoy a wild ride. Gaughan, Thomas
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: Books on Tape (2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1415941300
• ISBN-13: 978-1415941300
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #227,082 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping Spy Novel, June 27, 2007

By 

SciFiChick "The SciFiChick" (Fishers, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Cleaner (Hardcover)

Jonathan Quinn is a professional, contract "cleaner," making bodies disappear and covering tracks. But when a seemingly routine job leaves behind too many questions, Quinn decides to do some investigating on his own. After a subsequent attempt on his life, he and his apprentice must flee the country. And as Quinn begins to discover, his latest job and the attack at his home might be connected. An international conspiracy unfolds, but who can be trusted?

The Cleaner is a nonstop, electrifying thriller. The story is intense, full of surprises, action and intrigue. And the character of Quinn is akin to James Bond - smart, detached, with a soft-side for the ladies. With detailed, fascinating locales, it's obvious that Battles is more than familiar with his subject matter and scenery.

I am simply amazed that this is a debut thriller for Battles. This novel had me hooked from page one, and had me riveted until the very end! Everyone loves a good spy novel. This is definitely an author I'll be following.

42 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More like Barry Eisler than Lee Child or Robert Ludlum, January 14, 2008

By 

Jeff (Northern California) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Cleaner (Hardcover)

The blurbs on the back of the book compare Battles to Lee Child, Robert Ludlum, or John LeCarre. How they they came up with LeCarre is beyond me, as his novels are far more cerebral, but the point is that Battles' Quinn most closely resembles Barry Eisler's fine addition to espionage fiction, John Rain. So right away, this should tell you a lot about whether you're going to like The Cleaner.

Why not Child or Ludlum? Well, Child's Jack Reacher is too gifted, too smart, and too terse to compare to Jonathan Quinn, the Cleaner. Jonathan makes mistakes in his debut and he frequently speaks in more than one sentence at a time. Reacher seems to have a 'one mistake per book' quota and sometimes doesn't reach that. Ditto for words. Reacher is the strong, silent type. As for Ludlum, I suppose the comparison was made because his books tend to hop from one exotic international locale to another. Well, Quinn certainly does that, moving from Colorado to Thailand to Vietnam and finally to Germany. However, John Rain does that as well, and like Rain, Quinn is a professional in his craft, however much he questions his choice of profession. Ludlum's heroes often are more ordinary people swept up in extraordinary circumstances (e.g., The Holcroft Covenant or The Ostermann Weekend).

Okay, with that out of the way, what is good about this book and what can be improved? First of all, the plot is good. Although the Colorado portion is slow, by the time Quinn is overseas, the books rolls along nicely. Two, there is a great villain in Borko. What makes him great is that he is quite amoral and very believable. He doesn't have super power and occasionally makes mistakes of his own; he's no cardboard cut out.

What needs work? Well, first of all the assistant, Nate, by and large is a cliche figure. One gets the distinct feeling we're going to see more of him in future books. My advice to Battles would be to either let this guy progress quickly or to kill him off. Multiple books with a semi-competent assistant are not going to work. Two, I would insert even more description of location into the next book. This is something Eisler does very well, wherever John Rain is operating. The descriptions that Battles gives us are good, but there is room for more richness. After all, why pick a colorful locale and then not describe it so well we can see it? Finally, there is a plot twist at the end which I believe really won't surprise many readers. I'd advocate a different approach in the next book.

So, should you read this? Yes. There is a lot of promise in Battles, and I'm hoping he realizes more of it in his next book.

28 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent debut for Battles, July 3, 2007

By 

ellen "ellen in atlanta" (Atlanta, Georgia USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

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This review is from: The Cleaner (Hardcover)

I am always in awe of debut novels that blow your socks off - when I cannot tear away from a book - well that's a good sign. I read a big chunk in 1 day, and finished it the next.
Jonathan Quinn is a Cleaner, someone commissioned by a 'government agency' code name 'The Office' to go into a situation, assess it, and 'clean it', i.e. dispose of bodies, put things back to normal. He is called to Colorado to explore an arson case where a scientist was killed. Quinn is sure it is murder. He meets up with Nate, his apprentice Cleaner, and the adventure begins. When Quinn is almost killed, and members of 'The Office' are also threatened, Quinn and Nate go to Vietnam where Quinn thinks they are safe and where a friend that he asks help from lives. Orlando, the beatiful friend he asks help from is estranged from Quinn because Quinn was present when her man was killed during an operation. She however, comes around and joins Quinn and Nate.
The action is non-stop and gripping to the end. Not your ordinary cloak and dagger adventure - Again, I am awed by so well put together this debut novel is, and look forward to the next Quinn novel.